Two popular college search platforms have released annual rankings that place Clark among the top universities in the United States for 2027. The University is included in The Princeton Review’s “The Best 392 Colleges: 2027 Edition,” available online and in print, and is ranked the seventh-best small college in Massachusetts and in the top 30% of the best colleges in the country by Niche.
Of the approximately 2,800 four-year colleges in the United States, only about 14 percent are profiled in The Princeton Review’s flagship college guide, which does not rank schools numerically but includes the best 392 based on institutional data, campus visits, student feedback, and evaluations of academic offerings. From those, it creates fifty ranking lists based entirely on surveys of 172,000 students. Read The Princeton Review’s ranking methodology.
Clark is also named a Princeton Review Best Value School and included among the Best in the Northeast.
The Princeton Review previously announced its ranking of Clark at No. 7 among the Top 50 Game Design schools (No. 3 in the Northeast) and No. 16 among the Best Schools for Making an Impact, selected based on student ratings and responses to survey questions covering community service opportunities at their school, student government, sustainability efforts, and on-campus student engagement, as well as PayScale’s percentage of alumni who reported having high job meaning.
Niche ranks schools in a variety of areas. Along with the Best Colleges in America and Best Small Colleges in Massachusetts rankings, Clark is in the top 8% of 935 schools considered the Best Small Colleges in America and the top 13% of the Top Private Universities in America. Niche also ranks academic subjects and faculty — Clark is No. 90 out of 1,482 Colleges with the Best Professors in America. View Niche’s ranking methodology.
“Clark has been featured in Colleges That Change Lives since the book was first published 30 years ago, and these latest recognitions reaffirm what generations of Clark students have experienced firsthand,” says Lukman Arsalan, vice president of university enrollment. “Rankings are meaningful, but the most powerful measure of a university is what its students say about the education and community they experience. To hear Clark students describe professors who know their names, a community where they feel they belong, and an education that prepares them to make an impact is the strongest testament to the enduring value of a Clark education.”
Both ranking sites include student comments about various aspects of their experience at Clark. “Academics are great, as Clark has all the special qualities of a small liberal arts college while also doing cutting-edge research in many fields,” a sophomore reported on Clark’s Niche profile. “Professors are almost always open for office hours, and they ALWAYS know your name.”
In Clark’s Princeton Review profile, a student notes that Clark has “a strong sense of camaraderie, where everyone feels included and motivated to do their best.” Another student wrote that the University’s emphasis on student-run organizations fosters community and inclusivity on campus. “Once you find your people at Clark, you’re set.”
The Princeton Review is an education services company known for tutoring, test-prep courses, books, and other student resources. Headquartered in Natick, Mass., the company is not affiliated with Princeton University.
Niche is a platform that helps students, families, and high school counselors research and apply to schools and scholarships. Founded in 2002 as College Prowler, the site is headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
